


Visitor

by balancingdiet



Series: give time the power to heal you and i [3]
Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Part of Tabula Rasa in Kaito’s POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:22:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21905908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/balancingdiet/pseuds/balancingdiet
Summary: In the midst of cleaning Shinichi’s mailbox, a visitor arrives.
Series: give time the power to heal you and i [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1577851
Comments: 2
Kudos: 173





	Visitor

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! Just a heads up, you will have to read and complete the main part of this series “Tabula Rasa” to understand this chapter. In addition, there will also be spoilers for that fic. If you’ve finished reading TR... then I hope you’ll enjoy this :)

Kaito sighed, flipping the cloth in half before going for the last scrub.

Without fail, Shinichi would demand Kaito to clean his mailbox whenever his doves—mainly Tamago—did their business on it, but for the first time, Shinichi wasn’t by his side, with arms crossed and observing eyes watching his every movement. It was currently still office hours and Shinichi wasn’t back home, but under the scorching sun and scattered clouds, Kaito decided to take the initiative and clean the mailbox earlier. He could procrastinate and wait to be dragged out later by Shinichi after he knocked off from work (which was usually what Kaito had done), but today he had to go to Jii’s bar to go through the plan for an upcoming heist; there were lots of tricks involved, and Kaito guessed the preparation might also drag overnight.

In fact, Kaito was already late for the meeting, and he shouldn't even bother with this _literal_ shit—

“Excuse me?”

Kaito turned his head.

His eyes widened.

_Ao—?_

Kaito pressed the cloth hard on the mailbox, almost enough to make a dent.

He fully turned instead, leaving the cloth on the mailbox as his hands swung by his body, looking weightless and free. That was what he always showed to everyone, but to him, more often than not, his hands felt like they were near a fire. Close enough to feel the heat, but not enough to burn.

Just like the night of—

“Ah,” Kaito heaved out a sigh and mustered a smile at Mouri Ran, who was standing before him with a piece of paper in her hand. “Can I help you?”

Ran smiled back.

And seeing that, an ache spread across Kaito’s chest, like a nail being struck against his heart with every beat.

But his face never falter to that pain.

(He wondered if his dad was proud at how he had mastered the poker-face.)

Ran showed him the paper. “I’m wondering if you know where exactly is this address?”

Kaito glimpsed at it (not like he really had to figure out what was written) before pointing at Shinichi’s house. “It’s this one.”

Ran bit her lower lip and glanced at the front door. “Do you know the person who lives here?”

Kaito wished he could laugh at the question. “Yeah, Kudo Shinichi.”

Ran nodded, as if Kaito had passed a test he didn’t know existed. But when her gaze drifted curiously between him and the mailbox, Kaito cleared his throat. “I’m his neighbour, I live there.” He pointed to his house.

“I see.” Ran’s voice was levelled, neither suspicious or kind.

“Anyway, are you looking for him?” Kaito asked, diverting her attention away from him.

Ran looked awkward at first, but she nodded her head in the end.

“He’s out though, most likely returning in the evening.”

“Hm.” Ran caressed the corners of the paper, lips pursed thin and tight. She let out a sigh later before raising her head to show him a smile again.

This time, Kaito had to look away, and he pretended he did so to pick up the cloth from the mailbox.

He could still relive short moments, and worse come to worst, stab himself if he couldn’t; but if he had to see another second of that smile—that smile that reminded him of what he had taken away from this earth—he supposed he might need to die.

He knew his heart well enough to know.

“Anyway, thank you,” Ran said after a short bow, but from Kaito’s sidelong glances, she showed no signs of leaving.

“Is there something wrong?” Kaito asked, his eyes still lowered at the mailbox.

Ran rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. “... May I ask you to keep my appearance here a secret?”

Kaito finally found the energy to face Ran. He kept silent, hoping it would prompt her to continue.

“I, um... The thing is... we had a fight. And, well, I got angry at him and we haven’t spoken since.” Ran stared at the ground, her eyes and lips drooped simultaneously. “In fact, I haven’t decided what I want to do yet, so... I— I just don’t want him to know I’ve been here. That’s all.”

“Oh.” Kaito stroked his chin. “Did he cheat on you?”

“Ah, no!” Ran shook her head, her face and neck growing red. “We’re not— I mean... I’m... his friend. Just his friend. So it doesn’t matter if he has a girlfriend or what, but um— that’s not the point. Anyway, our fight has nothing to do with cheating.”

While staring at Ran’s frantic mode the entire time, Kaito decided to forgo the entire plan of teases he had prepared in his head. Besides, if he wanted to tease, the target should be Shinichi anyway—

But Kaito had already teased Shinichi before, back then when he came to retrieve the stolen mail from his house. He remembered asking if the mail was Ran’s love letter, and the cold respond from Shinichi’s voice and face was enough for Kaito to know he should never do that again.

And not just for that reason; Kaito supposed he owed Shinichi a favour when Kaito’s panic attack spiralled out of his control that particular night...

But in that case, should he also count the first night when Shinichi saved him from dying? And also how he didn’t send him to the police at his weakest moment? And what about the times when Shinichi did very unnecessary things, like visiting the hospital to see his performance, when Kaito actually brought it up as a joke...?

Shinichi sure had done a lot of things.

Kaito briefly shook his head, brushing away the thoughts and saving them for later.

“You don't have to explain anymore, I’m just throwing random guesses anyway,” Kaito said, in a way it was relevant to the truth. Shinichi never told him, but it was roughly simple to guess what their fight could be about.

(And it was a fight Kaito wished he had the privilege to go through.)

His words and the smile plastered on his face seemed enough to relax Ran and ease her out of her awkwardness and embarrassment. “So, can you keep this a secret?” she asked again.

“Sure, I promise.”

“Thank you.” Ran bowed. She then took a step back, preparing for a turn.

“Wait.”

She did.

“Time... doesn’t heal all wounds,” Kaito muttered.

Ran blinked. “I’m sorry?”

“Time doesn’t heal all wounds,” Kaito repeated, his voice stronger this time. “It’s what we do and the choices we make that lessen or distract the pain.”

Ran gaped, but her eyes did more work of showing her mute surprise. And what followed after the silence was that little, slow understanding that seeped its way into her features.

“About the fight you had with him,” Kaito continued. “You said you haven’t figured out what to do, but I think you do know, and that’s why you came at the wrong timing; because you know what you should do, and you’re hesitant to do it.”

Ran let out a breath that mixed between a sigh and a laugh. “You think I should do it?”

“That’s how you can lessen your pain.”

“... Because time doesn’t heal all wounds.” Ran's eyes flickered to Shinichi’s front door, and Kaito caught her lower lip quivering.

“As for Shinichi,” Kaito began, easily guessing what Ran was thinking. “I think only if he knows you forgive him, then it will lessen his pain.”

“Does he...” Ran swallowed. “Is he in pain all these while?”

“I don't think I can answer for him.”

Ran nodded, seeming to agree. Then, to his mild surprise, she turned and looked into Kaito’s eyes.

“I hope you are okay too,” she said, holding her gaze.

Kaito couldn’t help but laugh, and it wasn’t entirely acting as his usual defence mechanism. “Do I look like I’m not?”

Ran parted her lips, but in the end she retracted her original words after a shake of her head. “Anyway, thank you, your words mean a lot to me.”

> _Dear Diary,_  
>    
>  What should I do?

“... It’s nothing.”

“It means something,” Ran affirmed. She then tugged onto her handbag, gave the house one last glance, before looking back at Kaito. “I’ll get going now. Thank you once again.”

With that, Ran turned and left.

Kaito waited, and waited a long while more, until he was sure he was far and safe enough to walk towards the same direction as where Ran had gone, for the train station to reach Jii’s bar.

Aside from planning, he might also need a pint or two tonight.


End file.
